The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-05-06
How we Went a-Maytn..

The mud skies and balmy air of Sunday
May-day-tempted us in CON-
pany with good friend and neighbor to
take stroll into the country, our destina-
ton being the Union Grove school house,
better known as Gross Roads, near
Richman's mills, where we had been i'll
formed that Elder VIM. ]. Boynton, the
new arrival in our Borough this spring,
had inaugurated a series of Sunday after
noon services, the Sunday-school and
preaching services heretofore conducted
there on Sundays, under the auspices OF
| the Methodist Society, having been aban-
doned for want of laborers, death and re-
movals from the neghborhood having
greatly thinned out the devoted little band
who for so long had faithfully labored for
the moral benefit of that neighborhood. OF
our walk it is needless TO speak. Yes, we
walked-or rather sauntered-along, oc-
cupying little more than an hours time to
accomplish the distance from Woodstown
to the school house, and on our arrival,
warm and dusty, we found about score of
the residents of the neighborhood assem-
bled, waiting the arrival of the hour
for the beginning the services, 3 p. VI.
We took our seats at desk, over which
during the secular days CT the week some
urchin bent YEARLY coming his task.
The floor over which generation of little
feet had passed on the weary but neces-
sary road to knowledge was worn in hol-
lows by those same feet, some of which
now are treading the broad highway of
life out in the wide world-whetller up
ward or downward, who can tell? Others
are at rest under the sod. In the big sala-
mander of a stove some one had thought
fully kindled roaring fire, which the in
crease in outside temperature had rendered
quite supertluous, and it required the ven
tlating capacity of the door and all the
windows to counteract its too warm well
come. Outside the sunlight, reflected
from the fields of emerald green or earthen
grey. shone like gold over Hill and valley
and wooded slope. Over yohder a farm
house nestled peacefully; across there the
mill, Just beyond the sparkling bosom of
the pond like molten silver in the sunlight;
a bumble-bee dashed his head aimlessly
against the window pane; flock of pig
cons fitted and tluttered in the adjoining
pasture-it was a typical springtime after
noon, and soon farm house and mill, pig
cons and bumble-bees, desk and black
boards, stove and people were blending in
one ceaseless panorama, revolving round
and round before our eyes and we were
not asleep, but very near it until voice
announcing the opening hymn brought us
to our senses, or our senses back to us.
The little gathering rose and Joined in
singing in homely, heartfelt style, "Shall
we meet beyond the river, when the surges
cease to roll?" and Elder Boynton offered
brief prayer, after which he entered
upon his discourse, an exposition of Dan
iel, chapters VII and VIII, illustrated with
very realistic pictorial chart and tending
to show the fuliillment of prophecy in his
torical events and thereby the eternal
truth of the scripture writings. The dis
course was earnestly delivered and earnest
ly listened to, and at its close benedic-
ton was pronounced and the little service
was over. The seed had been sown--with
what result eternity may reveal-the sower
departed and We wendell our way home
ward, bringing with us sprig of fragrant
cherry blossoms, plucked from wayside
tree, as q memento Of how We went a-slay-
ing.